Global Relay vs Proofpoint: Which Do You Actually Need?
One stops phishing before it reaches your inbox. The other keeps regulators satisfied when they ask for three years of communications. We resell both platforms, so here's the comparison nobody selling just one will give you — including when the honest answer is "both."
The short answer: this isn't really a versus. Proofpoint is an email security platform — it stops phishing, malware, and spam at the gateway. Global Relay is a compliance archiving platform — it captures, preserves, and supervises communications so regulated firms pass FINRA and SEC examinations. They overlap only at the edges. Unregulated businesses typically need Proofpoint alone; regulated firms usually need both.
Global Relay vs Proofpoint Side-by-Side
The platforms are built for different jobs, which the feature-by-feature view makes obvious. Where one is strong, the other usually doesn't compete at all.
| Capability | Proofpoint | Global Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Email security gateway — stop threats before the inbox | Compliance archiving — capture and supervise communications |
| Threat protection | Spam, phishing, malware, URL Defense, attachment sandboxing | Not an email security product |
| Archiving | Email archiving available as an add-on | Core product: WORM-compliant, tamper-proof storage |
| Channels captured | 100+ channels: email, Teams, Slack, Bloomberg, SMS, social, voice | |
| Regulatory compliance | Supports compliance via filtering, encryption, and DLP | Built for FINRA, SEC 17a-4, MiFID II, IIROC examinations |
| Supervision & surveillance | Not included | Built-in review workflows, flagging, and audit trails |
| eDiscovery & legal hold | Basic search in archive add-on | Full eDiscovery toolset with case management |
| Email continuity | Emergency Inbox (30-day spool) included | Not included |
| Encryption & DLP | Included in Professional tier | Encrypted storage; DLP is not the focus |
| Best for | Any business on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace | Regulated firms: broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, insurers |
What Each Platform Does Best
Judged on their own turf, both are category leaders. The mistake is buying one expecting it to do the other's job.
🛡️ Proofpoint — Email Security
- Blocks phishing, malware, and imposter email before delivery
- URL Defense and Attachment Defense sandboxing
- Emergency Inbox keeps email running during M365/Workspace outages
- Encryption and DLP on the Professional tier
- Threat intelligence used by most of the Fortune 100
🗄️ Global Relay — Compliance Archiving
- Captures 100+ communication channels, not just email
- WORM-compliant storage built for SEC 17a-4 and FINRA 4511
- Supervision workflows for compliance officer review
- Full eDiscovery with legal hold and case management
- Audit-ready exports regulators accept without argument
Which Should You Choose?
The deciding question isn't features — it's whether a regulator can knock on your door. Start there and the answer usually picks itself.
Choose Proofpoint if...
You need to stop phishing, malware, and spam reaching employee inboxes on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Every business needs this layer — regulated or not. Proofpoint Essentials packages enterprise-grade filtering for small and mid-size companies.
Choose Global Relay if...
A regulator can ask for your communications. Broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, and insurers have books-and-records obligations (FINRA 4511, SEC 17a-4, MiFID II) that demand compliant capture, retention, and supervision across email, Teams, Bloomberg, and text — which is exactly what Global Relay was built for.
Most regulated firms need both
These platforms don’t compete — they stack. Proofpoint secures the gateway; Global Relay preserves and supervises what flows through it. Running both gives you threat protection and examination readiness, and deploying them together avoids mail-flow conflicts.
Deploying both?Order of operations matters — mail flows through Proofpoint's gateway first, and Global Relay journals from your mail platform. We configure the two together so filtering, journaling, and continuity don't conflict. One partner, one mail-flow design, both vendors handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions compliance officers and IT leads ask when they're comparing the two platforms.
What is the difference between Global Relay and Proofpoint?
They solve different problems. Proofpoint is email security — it blocks spam, phishing, and malware before mail reaches inboxes. Global Relay is compliance archiving — it captures, preserves, and supervises business communications for requirements like FINRA, SEC 17a-4, and MiFID II. Many regulated firms run both.
Can Proofpoint replace Global Relay for compliance archiving?
Generally no for regulated financial firms. Proofpoint offers email archiving as an add-on, but Global Relay captures 100+ communication channels — Bloomberg, Teams, Slack, SMS, social media — with built-in supervision workflows and WORM-compliant storage designed for FINRA and SEC examinations.
Can Global Relay replace Proofpoint for email security?
No. Global Relay is not an email security gateway — it doesn’t provide the phishing protection, malware sandboxing, and URL defense that Proofpoint delivers. Organizations needing both threat protection and compliance archiving deploy the two together.
Do I need both Global Relay and Proofpoint?
If you’re a regulated firm — broker-dealer, RIA, bank, insurer — most likely yes: Proofpoint stops threats at the gateway while Global Relay satisfies books-and-records requirements. Unregulated businesses usually need only Proofpoint, unless legal hold or eDiscovery needs justify dedicated archiving.
How do the pricing models compare?
Both license per user per month, billed annually. Proofpoint Essentials pricing varies by package tier (Business, Advanced, Professional); Global Relay pricing varies by captured channels and supervision features. As a reseller of both, we provide combined quotes within one business day.
One Partner for Both Platforms
Get pricing for Proofpoint, Global Relay, or the combined deployment — plus a mail-flow design that makes them work together.
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